Federal · Title 48 — Territories and Insular Possessions

48 U.S.C. § 1417: Criminal jurisdiction

Civil

What this law says, in plain English

This statute establishes that crimes committed on specified islands, rocks, or keys are treated as if committed on U.S. vessels on the high seas and punished under federal maritime law.

Read the full statutory text

All acts done, and offenses or crimes committed, on any island, rock, or key mentioned in section 1411 of this title , by persons who may land thereon, or in the waters adjacent thereto, shall be deemed committed on the high seas, on board a merchant ship or vessel belonging to the United States; and shall be punished according to the laws of the United States relating to such ships or vessels and offenses on the high seas, which laws for the purpose aforesaid are extended over such islands, rocks, and keys.

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This page is legal information, not legal advice. Code text is sourced from official publications and may lag amendments — always confirm at the official source linked above. Plain-English summaries and relationship data are AI-derived and reviewed on an ongoing basis; verify with a licensed attorney before acting.